Monday, February 5, 2018

Red Irish LordHemilepidotus hemilepidotus
Red Irish lords are common from the Bering Sea, Alaska, to Washington, and are rare south to Central California. They are found in shallow rocky waters to depths of 450 m (1,476 ft). Red Irish lords tend to rest on the bottom, blending in with their surroundings. They grow to 51 cm (20 in) in length, and 1.11 kg (2.45 lbs) in weight and live for at least six years. Red Irish lords can change colors to blend in with their surroundings. (WDFW)

Trudeau faces rowdy crowd of anti-Kinder Morgan pipeline hecklers at B.C. town hall
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a spirited defence of his decision to approve the Kinder Morgan pipeline during the final — and at times rowdy — town hall meeting of his cross-country tour today in Nanaimo, B.C. The prime minister was greeted by a chorus of boos — and slightly louder cheers of welcome — as he walked into the room. But his defence of Kinder Morgan began when an elderly woman asked Trudeau to "please, please, please" stop the pipeline expansion from bringing more oil from Alberta to the B.C. coast. As Trudeau attempted to defend his ideas about protecting the environment while growing the economy, he was shouted down by a number of activists. Three of them had to be removed by police after the local First Nation chief and Trudeau failed to talk them down. Nearly 30 minutes after the question was asked, Trudeau was finally able to answer. Peter Zimonjic reports. (CBC)

Experts question Alberta power threats to B.C. as pipeline politics intensify
Electricity experts are questioning the effectiveness of Alberta's promise to suspend power purchase talks with British Columbia as a way to sway the West Coast province on pipeline development. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley made the commitment Thursday in protest to B.C.'s announcement that it would at least temporarily restrict increases in diluted bitumen shipments, creating more uncertainty for Kinder Morgan Inc.'s delayed Trans Mountain expansion project. Blake Shaffer, a fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute, says the estimated potential impact of up to $500 million a year seems quite high, and that BC Hydro could potentially export the power to the U.S. if Alberta wasn't buying. (Canadian Press)

Puyallup Tribe, other Northwest tribes ask Gov. Inslee to halt progress on Tacoma LNG plant
The Puyallup Tribe and leaders from 14 other Northwest Tribes called on Gov. Jay Inslee to stop the construction of Puget Sound Energy’s liquefied natural gas plant on Tacoma’s Tideflats until an environmental review is complete “and all permit requirements are satisfied.” Last week, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency called for additional environmental review of the proposed plant before it can get a required air permit, a move that the Puyallup Tribe and environmentalist groups heralded as a win in the fight against the plant. That review process, called a supplemental environmental impact statement, is expected to take several months and will look at greenhouse-gas emissions that are created throughout the entire life cycle of the project. That’s expected to include the emissions created upstream and downstream of the facility. Candace Ruud reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Washington state $10-a-ton carbon-tax proposal takes key step in Legislature
A version of Gov. Jay Inslee’s carbon-tax proposal took a key step forward Thursday night in the Washington Legislature. Lawmakers approved the legislation in a vote of the state Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee. For years Inslee has introduced ambitious plans to fight climate change that have landed with a thud in the Legislature. But Thursday’s action was the first time one of his major carbon proposals got any kind of vote by lawmakers. It passed out of committee on a 6-to-4 vote. Hal Bernton and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Washington state cancels lease for Atlantic salmon farm off Cypress Island
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz has terminated Cooke Aquaculture’s lease to operate Atlantic salmon farms at its Cypress Island site, where a second fish farm is at risk of catastrophic collapse, state inspectors say. In a letter to Cooke managers sent Saturday, Franz said the lease is terminated immediately and the company should wind up its operations and clear out of the site in the San Juan Islands, where one of three pens fell apart last August, releasing more than 260,000 Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound. The termination comes just days after state investigators released a report blaming the net-pen failure on company negligence. The investigators also said the company misled the public and regulators about the scope and causes of the collapse. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Mix of net pen bills takes aim at non-native salmon Mark Swanson reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Magnitude-3.2 earthquake hits San Juan Islands, shakes Greater Victoriahttp://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/magnitude-3-2-earthquake-hits-san-juan-islands-shakes-greater-victoria-1.23164086
Residents throughout the capital region reported rumblings and barking dogs when a magnitude-3.2 earthquake struck Saturday night in Washington state’s San Juan Islands. The quake hit about 20 kilometres from Sidney and 25 kilometres from Victoria. The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor happened at 10:57 p.m. at a depth of 14 kilometres. It initially reported the magnitude of the quake at 2.9. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Volunteers set out native plants on new beach
The last segment of a fish-blocking dam came down four years ago, but Elwha River restoration work continues. Whale Scout volunteers and Northwest Indian College students — most from the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish tribes — planted 800 native plants on the east side of the mouth of the Elwha River on Jan. 27. The planting was hosted by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on newly created beach formed when decades of sediment were released after the removal of two Elwha River dams in a $324 million project. (Peninsula Daily News)

Trump to pull nomination for top environmental adviser
The White House late Saturday confirmed plans to withdraw the nomination of a climate change skeptic with ties to the fossil fuel industry to serve as President Donald Trump’s top environmental adviser. Kathleen Hartnett White was announced last October as Trump’s choice to chair the Council on Environmental Quality. She had served under former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, now Trump’s energy secretary, for six years on a commission overseeing the state environmental agency. But White’s nomination languished in the Senate, and was among a batch of nominations the Senate sent back to the White House at the end of 2017 when Congress closed up for the year. Trump resubmitted White’s nomination in January. White, who is not a scientist, has compared the work of mainstream climate scientists to “the dogmatic claims of ideologues and clerics.” Darlene Superville reports. (Associated Press)

Researchers use 'mini tanning beds' to treat white-nose syndrome in bats
The Achilles' heel of the fungus that is killing millions of hibernating bats in North America could be as close as the local tanning salon. Researchers in Madison, Wis. have found that the ultraviolet light worshipped by tanning enthusiasts also damages the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome has not been detected in bats in British Columbia, but officials are anxious about the spread of the disease, which was detected in neighbouring Washington state in 2016. Deborah Wilson reports. (CBC)

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Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482